I request that you inform me in as great detail as possible, in the first place, whether the English government agrees to allow me and a number of members of our party, the RSDLP (Central Committee), to pass through to Russia on the following conditions: (a) The Swiss socialist Fritz Platten receives from the English government the right to transport through England any number of persons, regardless of their political orientation and their views on war and peace; (b) Platten alone is responsible both for the composition of the groups being transported and for order, receiving a locked car—locked by Platten himself—for passage through England. No one may enter this car without Platten's consent. This car enjoys the right of exterritoriality; (c) from an English port Platten transports the group by steamship of any neutral country, receiving the right to notify all countries of the time of departure of this special steamship; (d) for passage by railway Platten pays according to the tariff, according to the number of occupied seats; (e) the English government undertakes not to obstruct the hiring and departure of a special steamship of Russian political émigrés and not to detain the steamship in England, allowing passage by the fastest route.

In the second place, in case of agreement, what guarantees of fulfillment of these conditions will England give, and does it have any objection to the publication of these conditions.

In case of a telegraph inquiry to London we assume the costs of the telegram with reply paid.

The deadline...

Written before March 30, 1917

Published for the first time, from the manuscript

*The words "until Copenhagen" were inserted by N. K. Krupskaya. Ed.